


Neighbors

by Diamondxclawedxglove39



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-02 09:22:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19196065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diamondxclawedxglove39/pseuds/Diamondxclawedxglove39
Summary: You’ve just won the lottery and have moved into your new fancy apartment. Little did you know who you’d be living next to in the Big Apple.





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic in a long time. So, hopefully it won’t be too awful. But I had an idea for (maybe?) a series. And I wanted to get it down on paper. Or, in writing. You get the idea.

As the last box was set down on the floor of the newly bought apartment, you wiped the sweat from your brow and looked around.  
“That took way longer than I anticipated,” you told your friend Kim who was sitting on the floor, unboxing some sheets for your bed.  
“I still can’t believe you bought this place. I mean, I know you won the lottery and everything, but I thought you were going to buy a house outside the city.” You shrugged as your other friend and moving partner came in from the kitchen, opening a beer.  
“Don’t money shame Y/N,” Callie told Kim with a grin. “Besides, what’s she going to do in the country? Read? There’s actually life in New York.” Callie sat down next to Kim and looked around the large living room. “What I can’t believe is that you’re still planning on working.”  
“I like my job!” you said defensively, running a hand through your short hair. “Plus, what would you two do without me? Actually get some work done?”  
Callie stuck her tongue out before taking a sip of her beer. “The lottery though. How many times have we each played the damn thing? And we actually won!”  
“Y/N won,” Kim corrected.  
“I’m still annoyed you guys wouldn’t take any of it,” you grumbled as you moved over to the couch and plopped yourself down, leaning heavily back against the plush cushions. “I feel kinda guilty…”  
“Oh, shut it. Kimmy and I told you, you’re just gonna be the one to cover girls’ night from now on.”  
Kim grinned and nodded in agreement. “And anyway, I caught a glimpse of your new neighbor. If you can introduce me to him, then I’ll pay you.”  
You rolled your eyes before closing them and sighing. “I can’t think about cute guys right now. I’m too tired.”  
Callie sat back on her hands, humming. “The food should be here soon anyway. Hey, Kim, let’s hang up some of the posters. Make this place look a little less nouveau riche.”  
As the two other women got up and started digging around for nails and a hammer, you smiled. It had been quite a roller coaster these last few months, having won the New York State lottery, becoming a millionaire, and then wondering what the fuck to actually do with it all.  
You’d donated a lot, gave a bunch to your parents, but had been convinced to do at least one nice thing for yourself. So, you’d bought an apartment, like an adult. And it was all yours. Callie and Kim had been given the offer of moving in, but Kim liked living with her roommates and Callie was set to get married within the year. So the 12,000 square foot luxury apartment on the fifteenth floor was going to be a bit empty.  
"Maybe I should get a dog,” you said into the apartment and Kim laughed.  
“You can’t take care of a houseplant.”  
You opened her mouth to respond when there was a knock at the door. You frowned but stood when Callie said “Sushi’s here!”  
Going to the door, you hadn’t even bothered looking through the peephole before opening the door.  
But standing in front of you wasn’t a delivery person.

It was a hot guy.  
A hot guy with casserole.  
A hot guy with a casserole that you recognized.

“Hi,” Joe Mazzello said, smiling slightly. “Are you my new neighbor?”  
You just stared for a moment, blinking when Callie came to the door. “Uhm, sorry, buddy, we didn’t order a casserole…”  
“Oh, no, I’m just 15B,” he said, smiling. “I wanted to come welcome you guys to the building. We don’t usually get new people, especially under 60 here.”  
You seemed to realize you hadn’t said anything yet and cleared your throat. “I-I’m the new neighbor,” you said, trying to keep your cool. “I’m Y/N, Y/N L/N.”  
“Nice to meet you.” Joe shifted the casserole to one hand before extending the other to shake her hand. “I’m-“  
“Joe Mazzello,” Callie said as it dawned on her. Then she grinned. “Yeah! Thought you looked familiar. You played uh…. Whats-his-face in Jurassic Park.”  
You wanted to slap Callie’s shoulder but Joe just chuckled. “That would be me,” he agreed before offering the food out to you to take. You did, still trying to process this.  
“Yeah, that’s Y/N’s favorite movie,” Callie said. You looked at her in horror but Joe smiled wider.  
“Glad you liked it so much,” he said. You wanted to melt into the floor as he continued. “Anyway, you guys seem busy, so I’ll leave you to it. But,” he said, looking at you with his soft brown eyes, “It was very nice to meet you.”  
You could only manage a nod before he turned and headed back to his apartment which was just next door.  
“I’m going to fucking kill you,” you hissed to Callie as you shut the door and headed towards the kitchen.  
“What? Why?” Kim asked in confusion, having missed the whole conversation.  
“I just told him you liked his movie,” Callie said, though she was grinning mischievously.  
“You just told him it was my favorite movie! You told a hot famous actor that I now live next to that I’m a fan! That makes me sound like a fucking stalker!”  
“Oh, Y/N, calm down.” Callie waved you off as Kim still looked confused. “Maybe this is the chance of a lifetime! You two are neighbors. This is gonna be like a Hallmark movie!"  
“Or a Law and Order episode,” you muttered as you set the casserole down on the counter and took the cover off. It was still warm and as the steam escaped, you could smell how delicious it was.  
“And he can cook… great.”  
“What?” Kim just repeated. Callie rolled her eyes. “We’ll fill you in over Italian and sushi. Which, by the way, where is it?”  
As Callie started telling Kim what happened you couldn’t help thinking over the circumstances that had unfolded. Your favorite actor, who you’d had a massive crush on since you were, like, ten, was now living next to you. And he knew, to some level, that you existed. And you had the most meddling friends in the entire universe.

This could only end terribly….


	2. The Rooftop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’ve just won the lottery and have moved into your new fancy apartment. Little did you know who you’d be living next to in the Big Apple.

    Your first night in the new apartment was rather uneventful. Kim and Callie had decided to sleep over, help you unbox things, but had both fallen asleep by the time midnight came around. Of course, you couldn’t sleep.

           As the sound of the city outside was similar to your old place, it was also different. This was a nicer area than you were used to. There weren’t voices yelling at each other, cursing, laughing. Just… traffic.

           As you turned in your bed, you couldn’t help wondering what your neighbor was doing. Looking at your clock, you’d guess sleeping. It was 4 am. You sighed and sat up, frowning.

           “Stop it,” you told yourself. It was dumb. He probably thought it was kind of creepy a fan now lived next to him. You’d just have to keep your distance, show you weren’t a stalker.

           Figuring you weren’t getting any sleep any time soon, you got out of bed and grabbed your building keys. Every resident had access to the roof so you thought you’d go up and let the cool air clear your head.

           You wrote a quick note of where you were and left it by Callie’s snoring form before quietly slipping on some shoes and leaving the apartment.

           As you opened the door to the roof, you smiled softly to yourself. It was a better view than your old building had had, and you could see almost the whole city. The light pollution made for no visibility of the stars, but you’d live. You made your way to the edge and leaned against the brick that surrounded the roof. There was a slight breeze and with it blew the smell of the city, the good and the bad. It was a smell you were still getting used to, even after three years of moving to New York City. It was a mixture of greasy food, gasoline, trash, and the ocean. Your parents hated it but you loved it.

           “The city that never sleeps,” you said to yourself.

           “Just like us,” a voice said from somewhere and you jumped, turning to see someone standing up from one of the benches offered nearby. “Sorry!” the person, a man, said, rather quickly. “I didn’t mean to scare you!”

           You realized just as he stepped into the light that it was your new neighbor. “I, uh, sorry, I thought I was alone up here,” you squeaked. “I’ll go-“

           “Why? It’s not my personal roof,” Joe said with a smile, moving to lean against the railing about five feet from you. He obviously wanted to give you space, but whether that was because he didn’t want to be near you or because he didn’t want to seem threatening, you weren’t sure.

           “Couldn’t sleep, huh?” he asked gently and you blinked back to reality.

           “I’m a night owl,” you explained, forcing yourself to make eye contact before quickly looking back out over the city. “Plus I’ve never really seen the city from this height before.”

           Joe’s eyes followed yours over the cityscape and he smiled. “Nothing like it.”

           “I guess you’d know, having probably been all over.” You blushed slightly realizing that may come off as weird, acknowledging you, again, knew who he was and what he did. “I’m sorry about my friend earlier,” you quickly said.

           You hadn’t expected him to laugh, and  _man_ , what a cute laugh it was.

           “Trust me, people have said far weirder things to me once they know who I am.” He looked over at you. “So, you like Jurassic Park?” You didn’t notice the small smirk on his face in the darkness.

           You ran a hand through your hair. “I mean, it was my first PG-13 movie, so that stuck with me,” you offered, feeling kind of pathetic with the answer. But he just nodded.

           “It was my first one too.”

           He grinned at you and you couldn’t help giggling slightly.

           Turning his body towards you fully, he cocked his head to the side. “So what do you do for a living, Y/N?”

           It took you a moment to process his question because all you could focus on was the fact that  _he remembered your name._ But after a moment you coughed. “Oh, uh, I’m a docent.”

           “A… what?”

           You smiled. “Yeah, no one ever knows what that is. I’m the person who does tours in museums.”

           “Ohhhh, okay.” He grinned. “That’s awesome! What museum?”

           “The Met. I have a degree in art history, so it seemed like the most likely place to work,” you told him. “That or McDonalds.”

           He laughed again at that. “Well, although there’s nothing wrong with the second one, I’m glad you get to work where you wanted.”

           “Me too. Plus it allowed me to leave my small town. Nothing for me in nowhere, Massachusetts.”

           “Ah, so, let me guess.” He narrowed his eyes suddenly and you frowned. “Red Sox fan.”

           You blinked in confusion before laughing. “I don’t give a fuck about baseball,” you admitted. “But it’s kind of the principle of the thing to say ‘yes,’ I suppose.” You smirked. “But even I know they’re better than the Yankees.”

           “Oh, those are fighting words,” Joe said. “Especially in this city.”

           Both of you broke out into giggles at that.

           “So, you like it here?”

           You nodded and gestured to the city. “I know it’s kind of cheesy, but this place really is crawling with opportunities. Among other things, but the good definitely outweighs the cockroaches and rats.”

           “Glad you think so,” Joe said, chuckling. He was about to say something else when he noticed something behind you. “Shit! The sun’s rising…”

           You turned your head to see the first rays of the sun peeking up and your heart skipped a beat. You must have been more into your conversation than you realized. “Shit, I got to be at work in two hours,” you said, turning back to find Joe not looking at the sunrise, but seemingly studying you.

           “What?” you asked without thinking.

           “Hm? Oh, I just… where you’re standing, you kinda looked like you had a halo,” he said. He seemed to blush at his own words, but you decided that was just the red of the new day painting his face. “I should let you go. Work’s more important than blabbing away with me.” He smiled softly and saluted you with two fingers. “It’s been great talking, Y/N.”

           “You too.” Starting towards the door, you turned at the last minute. “I really liked your casserole,” you blurted out before disappearing into the building, leaving him with a wide grin on his face.

           Back in your apartment, Callie and Kim were starting to wake up. “Where were you?” Kim asked with a large yawn as you started towards the bathroom to be the first one to shower.

           “Just, uh, taking in the view from the roof,” you told her, not mentioning the conversation with Joe. You figured you’d be getting enough shit from them today from yesterday’s interaction. You didn’t need to fuel the fire.

           “Cool. Hey, can you pay for breakfast?” Callie asked. “You know, since you’re a millionaire now and all.”

           Rolling your eyes, you just nodded and closed the bathroom door behind you. Your stomach was so full of butterflies from what had happened that food was the very last thing on your mind.


	3. The Museum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’ve just won the lottery and have moved into your new fancy apartment. Little did you know who you’d be living next to in the Big Apple.

  “I told you to drop it.” You glared at Callie across the break room table, poking at your leftovers from the night before. It had been a week since you’d last spoken with Joe on the roof and you’d thought it’d been safe to casually mention it to your friends.

           You’d been wrong.

           “Y/N, you don’t understand, I  _have_ to know everything!” the woman across from you declared. It took all you had not to fling cold noodles in her face to get her to focus on something else. Kim looked between the two of you, silently enjoying the commotion.

           “We professed our undying love for each other, is that what you want to hear?” You stabbed your food a little too aggressively and nearly spilled it all over your uniform. You cursed softly as Callie grinned.

           “Maybe. But the truth is more interesting.”

           “We talked about baseball.”

           “I said the  _truth_.”

           “That _is_  the truth!” you barked defensively. Kim frowned. “But, Y/N, you hate baseball.”

           Callie pointed her spoon at you. “Are you changing your personality for him? Cause girl, he’s hot, but no man is worth that bullshit.”

           “Oh my God, please shut up,” you groaned. “I mentioned I was from Red Sox territory, that’s all. And that I worked here.”

           Both of the other women perked up at that. “So he knows where you live  _and_ where you work, huh?” Callie asked. You closed your eyes in exasperation.

           “Yes, I suppose he does.”

           “Who’s the stalker now?”

           “ _I am not a stalker!_ ”

           You scrunched down in your seat a little as the others in the break room looked over at your table in the corner, embarrassment coloring your cheeks. You’d said that a little too loudly.

           Kim smiled softly and patted your shoulder. “You know we’re just giving you a hard time, honey. We know you’re not a stalker.”

           “I’m not sure Joe does.” You took a sip of your iced tea and frowned at the marred tabletop. “I haven’t seen him in a week and I don’t know if that’s because he’s busy and we’re just missing each other in the hall, or he’s avoiding me.”

           “Well if he is, he’s an idiot. But you also tend to overthink shit,” Callie informed you before standing up. “Anyway, we can discuss this further tonight. Girls’ night, remember?”

           Both you and Kim nodded. As if you could forget. You three went out clubbing every Friday night, have been for the last two and half years since you got to know them. “And it’s all on me,” you told them as you also stood. “You want loud and dancing or chill?”

           “Loud!” Callie exclaimed at the same time Kim said “Chill, please.” You all looked at each other before laughing.

           “We did loud last time. Let’s try chill this time,” you offered. Callie huffed. “Fine. But you two need to realize that loud can be fun.”

           “We can see that with you,” Kim teased as you all left the break room to head to your respective areas of the museum. Callie tossed her hair. 

           “You’re just jealous of my natural magnetism.” 

            Kim just shook her head, smiling.

           “We’ll meet at my place at seven,” you told them.

           “See you then, darling!” The other two went off and you moved towards the lobby where your tours always started.

          Every hour, a new tour of the museum would start, although people were free to just wander if they wanted to. Occasionally you’d get some terrible tourists from Milwaukee or Seattle who couldn’t handle using inside voices, but overall you really did like your job. You had wanted to be a teacher but had never gotten around to earning your degree for that part of it. Instead, you spent your days teaching through the tours. If you hadn’t liked your job, you’d have quit when you won all that money.

           As you went to talk to Shirley, the receptionist at the information desk, you stopped dead in your tracks when you saw a familiar face standing there, looking at the information brochure that was handed out on the tours.

           You were just about to turn on your heels to get Kim to do the next tour when you heard Joe call your name.

           “I see you’re working today,” he said as he made his way over to you. You smiled, a little awkwardly, and nodded. “I wasn’t sure. But I thought I’d stop by and see.”

           “You wanted to see me?” You couldn’t help sounding a little confused, and a soft blush appeared on his cheeks.

           “I mean, I wanted to see the art. Not that I didn’t want to see you! I just thought that, since I hadn’t been here in a while, I’d drop in and…” His words trailed off and you both stood there for a moment before a voice from behind Joe spoke up.

           “Hey, is there a gift shop here?”

           You looked over his shoulder to see  _Ben Hardy, holy shit,_ walking up to him with a camera around his neck. Joe rolled his eyes.

           “Don’t be such a tourist,” he told his British friend who just shrugged.

           “It’s what I am, isn’t it?”

           “Oh, hey, Ben, this is Y/N. The new neighbor I was telling you about.” Joe turned to you and you felt your heart flutter. He’d been talking about you? To Ben Hardy? What was happening?

           “Hey, nice to meet you.” Ben shook your hand. “You the guide?”

           “Yup, that’s me.” Your voice was a little weak and you cleared your throat, trying to get into a less dreamy head space. “Are you guys wanting to take the tour?”

           Ben nodded. “Joe was very adamant we take a guided tour.” He smirked as Joe blushed.

           “Well, just because we don’t know shit about anything in here!”

           “Yeah… that’s the reason.” Ben and Joe shared a look that you didn’t understand but you shook it from your thoughts. “Right, well, let me just see if there’s anyone else for this hour and then we can get started.”

           Moving back to Shirley, you didn’t see Joe smack Ben with the brochure still in his hand. Shirley called out that the next tour was starting and a group of two couples, a small family, and an older gentlemen huddled around you.

           For the next forty-five minutes, you went through the exhibits with the group, focusing on your favorites and the ones mandated. You occasionally caught Joe’s eyes staring, not at the art, but on you, but you just chalked it down to him actually paying attention to what you were saying. You couldn’t say the same for everyone else in the group. But you were used to that at this point. You still enjoyed talking. By the time you’d made your way back to the lobby of the museum, most of the people looked bored out of their minds.

           “And to the left is the gift shop,” you finally announced, hearing a ‘whoo!’ from the back which you realized was Ben as he jogged off. The rest of the group dispersed leaving you with Joe.

           “You really know what you’re talking about,” he stated with a smile. You couldn’t help smiling back shyly.

           “Thanks. It helps that I have a good memory. But I will give myself this, each tour has slightly different facts.” You sounded proud of the fact you went off script and Joe’s smile grew.

           “Guess I’ll have to come back, then. See what you were holding back on.” 

           You blinked at that, unsure of what to say. Before your brain could think of something, Ben poked his head out of the shop to shout at Joe. “They have little painting kits! And stuffed Van Goghs with a missing ear!”

           Joe looked up at the ceiling before looking at Ben. “I’ll be there in a minute,” he called back through clenched teeth as you couldn’t help chuckling. “Sorry about him. He’s like a child.” Joe offered an apologetic smile as he started walking backwards towards the gift shop. “Gotta save his bank account from himself. But, I’ll see you around?”

           You nodded. “Yeah, Neighbor.” You fired finger pistols at him then instantly regretted the cringey move but he just grinned.

           “See you, Neighbor.”

           As he disappeared into the gift shop, you let out a puff of air and retreated back towards the offices. You had to take a moment to compose yourself before going on another tour.

           Callie and Kim were going to freak when you told them about this.


	4. The Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’ve just won the lottery and have moved into your new fancy apartment. Little did you know who you’d be living next to in the Big Apple.

When you opened the door to your apartment, Callie and Kim grinned at you, the former whistling.

           “Look at you, lady! Going all out tonight, huh?”

           You grinned at them as they entered your apartment. You’d decided to wear something besides your normal little black dress and had purchased an expensive ensemble. It was an asymmetrical dress, half black, half gold, with the gold part draping down further than the other side, with a matching gold bracelet and heels. It was Gucci and expensive and so not you. You loved it.

           Course, you planned on wearing it every chance you got, since you hated spending that much money on one thing. But you felt like spoiling yourself.

           “Think it’s too much?” You instantly got a ‘no’ from both of them and you grinned. “Right, let’s head down and get this night started.”

           The two followed you out, waiting for you to lock your apartment door, when you heard the elevator ‘ding’.

           “Catch that!” you laughed as you ran to it. You stuck your arm out just in time to stop the doors from closing completely and were giggling before your breath caught.

           In the elevator were Joe and Ben, both obviously dressed for their own night out on the town. Ben was in all black, looking casually handsome. Joe was wearing bright green skinny jeans, a Queen t-shirt, and a leather jacket. You had to hold onto the wall to keep yourself from falling over at how good he looked.

           “Hey, get on,” Callie told you before she and Kim caught up and looked into the elevator. “Oh, hey! Hollywood!”

           Joe grinned at the three of you as he and Ben stood back to let you onto the elevator. “I guess you ladies had the same idea as us.” He blatantly looked you up and down and you swallowed thickly as Callie pulled you into the small elevator car.

           “We did indeed,” the brashest of the three of you spoke. “Although I’m sure you’re going somewhere more exhilarating than we are.”

           Ben shrugged. “We’re going to  _BAB._ It’s this new place, Joe wanted to check it out. I’m just going with the flow.”

           You were quick to grab Callie’s arm and squeeze  _hard_ as you saw an idea forming in her mind but before you could stop her, she was speaking. “Really?” Her tone was innocent but both you and Kim exchanged a look, knowing her too well as she smirked. “What. A. Coinky dink. So are we!”

           If it hadn’t made you look insane, you would have screamed. At her, at the universe, at your inability to control your friend’s apparent love of embarrassing you.

           Ben grinned at Joe as the brunette raised an eyebrow at your panicked face. “That so?”

            _Oh, God, he thinks we’re freaks, that we really are stalking him, oh God, kill me now!_

           “Yeah,” Kim added and you threw a look at her that screamed ‘Traitor!’ but she was happy to ignore looking at you. “I mean, now that we can really party, Y/N offered to take us to the newest hot spot. She’s really on top of what’s cool in the city.”

           Closing your eyes and praying for imminent death, you were too terrified to look at Joe who was suppressing a huge smile. Ben elbowed him before grinning at your group. “Well, you’re free to join us. I’m sure the others wouldn’t mind adding a few more to our group.”

           “Others?” you squeaked as the elevator doors opened to the main floor of your apartment building. You all stepped out, you suddenly feeling a bit like a baby giraffe in your gold heels and jelly knees, but Callie kept a firm grip on your arm as you all walked out onto the sidewalk.

           “We’re joining some friends to celebrate their engagement,” Joe explained. He held out his arm to hail a cab as Ben looked to Callie and Kim. “I’m Ben, by the way,” he said with a smile. Callie nodded.

           “We know. This is Kimmy. You can call me Cal.”

           Kim waved shyly as you gaped at your friend. Her ability to take this all so coolly would normally impress you but now it aggravated and horrified you to no end. She’d be getting a very stern talking to at some point.

           “Nice to meet you Kimmy and Cal.” Ben winked at them as a taxi pulled to the curb and Joe opened the door. “Ladies first.”

           Callie practically threw you into the back, making sure you had nowhere to run as they climbed in after you and Ben joined, Joe taking the front seat next to the driver and gave him the address. As they started off, Joe turned to look into the back.

           “So, how do the three of you know each other?”

           Of course, Callie was the first to speak. “We all work at the museum. Kim and Y/N are guides. I work in administration. It’s a tough job, but,” she shrugged. “Someone’s got to do it.”

           “We all appreciate your sacrifice,” Kim chuckled and Joe grinned. He and Ben asked more questions but you were focusing so much on actually  _breathing_ through the whole care ride that you didn’t get a word in yourself.

           By the time you reached the club, you were maybe breathing a little too much. Almost to the point of hyperventilating. Callie looked at you with worry as Ben opened the door and got out, Kim following behind. But your friend pulled you along.

           “I think Y/N and I should go ahead, she needs some water. Too excited about this new place. We’ll find you in there.”

           Joe furrowed his eyebrows together as he watched you and Callie disappear into the club. Ben patted his shoulder.

           “Come on, let’s find Rami.” He offered his arm to Kim and they all walked in.

—-

           “What the actual hell are you doing?” you hissed to your friend as she led you through the small crowd towards the bar.

           “I’m helping you!” she insisted. “Look, this club is chill. You’re here with your hot neighbor. And you have the ability to just enjoy yourself for once.” Her tone was a mixture of annoyance at your inability to see the bigger picture and reassurance that everything was going to be okay. It confused the hell out of you.

           “I’m going to kill you. Or me. Or both,” you told her as she got the bartender’s attention and ordered two shots.

           “Not until you try and have some fun.” She paid and then put both shots in each of your hands. “Now down them, freshie. We got an engagement party to be a part of.”

           You stared at the shots then Callie like she was bananas. But she just gave you a look and something inside you,  _deep_ inside you told you that she might actually have a point. So, throwing caution to the wind, you downed one shot. Then, the other.

           As you coughed you could see Callie grinning and she took your empty shot glasses from you before grabbing your hand and leading you around the edge of the dance floor to find your new group.

         Just as the tequila was starting to make you feel more relaxed, you saw Kim waving to you two from the other side. And you saw who she was with.

          “Is that Rami fucking Malek?” you breathed.

           “Seems to be. Oh, and Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, and a few others.” Callie was so casual listing off the names as she put on her biggest smile, the both of you sidling up to the table. Joe was talking to Lucy but stopped when he saw you.

           “There they are! You okay?” He looked at you with those soft brown eyes of his and you couldn’t help smiling slightly at his worry.

           “I’m fine. I, uh, just get car sick sometimes…”  _Very sexy_ you thought to yourself but Joe seemed to buy it as he turned to the table.

           “Guys, this is my neighbor and her friends.” He went around the table, introducing you all to each other, although you knew who most of everyone there was. It was like the red carpet but scrunched into a booth.

            “Please, sit,” Joe told you three and before you knew it you were sitting between him and Lucy while Callie and Kim were between Ben and Gwilym. “How do you like the club?” Joe asked you as conversations between the others began. You hadn’t really thought to actually look around and take in your surroundings until now and you leaned forward slightly in your seat to check it out.

           It was a medium sized place. There was definitely a crowd, but there was enough room to breathe, with the live jazz band giving it a sort of vintage feel. You suddenly felt slightly overdressed but in that moment you didn’t care because as you turned to answer Joe you saw a look in his eyes that made you pause.

          His eyes were dark but the soft light created a spark in them that made you feel both exposed and safe at the same time. It didn’t make sense but it made you feel all warm inside. Course, that might have been the shots, but either way you didn’t seem to mind.

           “It’s nice. I’m not one for ‘clubbing’,” you explained to him with air quotes as he turned more towards you. “So these kind of more calm places, I enjoy more.”

           “I feel the same way.” He leaned in slightly so you could hear him better and you realized he smelled amazing. Whatever cologne he was wearing could easily become addictive and you had to force yourself not to just breathe it in.

           “Ben’s more the loud one of the group. Rami and I enjoy jazz, and Gwil… well, he’d rather be at home.” Joe let out a soft laugh and you smiled in response. You could listen to that laugh all day. “I’m glad we ran into you,” Joe suddenly told you. “I like talking with you.”

           Butterflies erupted in your stomach and you looked down at the table, unable to stop the giant grin that spread across your face. “I like talking with you too. Even if you have terrible taste in baseball teams.”

           That made him really laugh, enough so that the others looked over at him. But they didn’t interrupt, Ben sharing a knowing look with his and Joe’s other friends before returning to his conversation with Kim and Gwil.

           “I’ll forgive that this time,” he teased. “Anyway, what else do you like? Besides art and dinosaur movies.”

           You shrugged. “Lots of things. Reading. Exploring and traveling. Dancing.”

          Joe seemed to pick up on that last one. “Oh, really?” Suddenly he was moving from the booth and offering his hand to you. “Come on then. Show me your moves.”

          Your mouth dropped open as everyone turned to look at you. “Oh, no, I-I couldn’t-“ You yelped as you felt a swift kick to your shin and you turned to see Callie giving you a look. ‘Fun’ she mouthed to you and you narrowed your eyes before looking back at Joe. “Yeah… yeah, alright.”

           Ben and Rami seemed to like the idea of dancing too and got out of the booth, Lucy joining Rami and Kim joining Ben out on the dance floor as a new song started up. You recognized it as ‘La Vie En Rose.’ Joe took your right hand in his left, his own right settling gently on your waist as you both started swaying to the music.

          “You’re not stepping on my toes, so that’s an improvement to my last dance partner,” Joe joked quietly and you blushed.

          “You should have seen me at prom.”

          He chuckled and smiled down at you. “You’re funny, you know that?”

          You managed to force yourself to look up at him. “I’m not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not, Mr. Mazzello.”

          “Please, call me Joe. I feel we’re good enough friends for that.”

          Your breath hitched a little at the word ‘friends’ and you looked away. He frowned slightly. “Unless, you don’t want to be friends…” His voice sounded so sad you were quick to look back.

          “No! I mean, no to not wanting to be friends. What I mean is, I’d like to be. Friends, that is.”

          Joe chuckled at your words and nodded. “Friends it is, then. I’m glad, Y/N.”

          The rest of the song, you two danced in a comfortable silence and by the time it was over, you didn’t want to let go of him. But you did as Gwil called you both over for drinks and cake.

          The rest of the night went by in a blur, Rami and Lucy being celebrated for their engagement, Ben pulling Gwil out onto the dance floor, Callie and Kim taking pictures, and you just absorbing it all happily as Joe watched you do so.

          By the time you returned to your apartment building with Ben and Joe, Callie and Kim having gone home on their own, you were exhausted. But pleasantly so.

          “Ben, Jesus, you’re heavy,” Joe huffed as he held his friend up in the elevator. The blonde had drunk the most that night and it clearly showed in how he swayed and was barely able to keep himself upright. You were pretty tipsy yourself, so the whole situation was rather funny to you and you couldn’t stop giggling.

           Once the elevator doors opened, Joe was practically dragging Ben towards his apartment as the Brit sang “We Are the Champions” loudly down the hall. You helped Joe unlock his door before stepping back to let them in.

          “I had a really fun time,” Joe said to you as Ben managed to lug himself to the couch and fall onto it. “We should go out again sometime.” He blushed darkly. “I mean, as a group. Cause your friends are fun too. Not that you’re not fun on your own!”

          You grinned at him. “Yeah, that’d be great. Joe.” You started towards your own apartment as he watched you go, leaning his head against the door frame.

          Just before you disappeared into your new home, you looked back and boldly blew him a kiss. “Night, Neighbor.” With that, you left his eyesight and closed the door, leaving him sighing happily.

          “Night, Neighbor…


	5. Leadup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’ve just won the lottery and have moved into your new fancy apartment. Little did you know who you’d be living next to in the Big Apple.

           It was around midday when you awoke and you had the urge to curl into a ball and go back to sleep. Your head was pounding and your body felt like it was made of lead. But you knew you had more unpacking to do to really make your apartment feel like a home so you decided on making a big pot of coffee and going from there. Dragging yourself from your bed, you slowly made your way to the kitchen to start the process of heating the water that would eventually become your savior.

           It had been awhile since you’d drank as much as you had the previous night but although the hangover most definitely sucked, thinking back on what had happened, you wouldn’t have traded it for anything. You sat down at the kitchen island as you waited for the water to boil and you let your mind wander to what you could remember. You definitely remembered how wonderful Joe had smelled, how nice it was to hold him close as you danced, and how he had said you were friends. Those things were enough to make you smile to yourself. It had been awhile since you’d made any new friends and the fact that Joe had decided you were one, instead of a weirdo stalker, took some weight off your shoulders you hadn’t realized you were holding there.

           You were just about to go grab the coffee from the cupboard when there was a soft knock at the door. It almost hadn’t registered as a knock but it happened again a moment later and you moved over to the door. This time, you looked through the peephole and saw Ben Hardy standing outside your apartment. Frowning slightly, you opened the door and looked out. “Hello, Ben,” you said with a slightly confused tone. “Can I help you?”

           “Yeah, sorry if I woke you.” His voice was deep and croaky and he was obviously even more hungover than you. “But Joe doesn’t have any milk and tea is shite without it. Do you happen to have any I could borrow?”

           You blinked before smiling slightly and opened the door. “Come on in. I should have some.” He followed you into the apartment and to the kitchen where the kettle was starting to scream and you quickly pulled it off the heat as the man groaned.

           “Fun night?” you teased as you poured the water over the ground beans in your French press then turned to the fridge to get some milk.

           “If it was, I don’t remember,” Ben admitted as he laid his head down against the cool marble of the kitchen island. “Joe is a terrible mate for letting me drink that much.”

           “I don’t really think it was his choice,” you defended with a laugh as you took a carton out and moved back over to him. “Pretty sure you even almost came to punches over letting yourself drink another few shots.”

           Ben lifted his head enough to rest his chin on the counter and looked at you with bleary eyes. “I remember him having fun,” the blonde murmured quietly. “Because of you.”

           Your smile faltered and you quickly looked away, blushing. “Oh, I doubt it was  _because_ of me,” you said. “In spite of me might be a better description.”

           Ben scoffed. “You two are so fucking blind.”

           Quickly, you turned to look at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” you asked a little more coldly than you’d intended. Ben just sat up straight and held up his hands defensively. “Not my place to say, love.” He stood and took the milk. “Cheers for this. I should get going before he thinks I wandered out the fire escape.”

           The blonde started towards the door before turning at the last moment. “He’s having a party tonight. He would be too scared to invite you but I’m his guest and what I says goes.” He smirked slightly. “So, I’m inviting you.”

           “Uhm, are you su-“

           “Yes,” he told you firmly. “9 o’clock. Wear something green. It’s his favorite color.” He winked at you before leaving you vaguely confused in your own kitchen. Maybe you should cut off all ties with anyone famous, because they were all obviously way too crazy. Although, thinking to your own friends, you figured maybe that was just the human condition.

           After finishing your coffee and spending the rest of the afternoon unpacking and sorting what was left of your possessions, you went to collapse onto your couch. You looked around and sighed with a sense of pride. You still didn’t have much, but what expressed who you were was scattered around. Everything from framed posters adorning the walls to your book and CD collection set up alphabetically in a shiny new bookcase screamed ‘home’ to you and you were very happy about it.

          Around eight, after eating even more takeout (you weren’t known for your cooking abilities) you heard your phone go off and when you checked it, you saw Callie had texted you.

 

**[Text: Calster]: So, what are you going to wear?**

 

        You blinked in confusion at your phone and texted back quickly.

 

**[Text: Me]: What’re you talking about?**

 

        Instantly she was replying.

 

                                   **[Text: Calster]: To Hottie’s party. Duh.**

 

        Quickly you were alert and you glared at your phone. How did she know about the offer Ben had extended you only this morning?

 

                                   **[Text: Calster]: And before you act dumb and say you don’t know what I’m talking about, Ben texted Kim, who then texted me.**

**[Text: Me]: … Why does Ben Hardy have Kim’s number?**

**[Text: Calster]: Not what we’re talking about right now. Focus. What. Are you. Wearing?**

 

           You couldn’t believe this. You couldn’t have one night of unmeddled peace, could you? You were very tempted to just not respond for the rest of the night, but in true Callie fashion, she didn’t give you that luxury.

           About a half hour later, you heard a key turn in your front door’s lock and you stood in alarm as she and Kim burst in, grinning at you. “There you are!” Callie exclaimed before frowning. “You look terrible. You’re not going like that!”

           “Wha-“

           “Come on!”

           She grabbed your arm but you stood your ground for once as Kim looked on. “Callie, stop! What are you doing here? I gave you that key for emergencies!”

           Callie huffed in annoyance. “And this is an emergency! We need to make you look good!” She tried tugging on your arm again but you once again didn’t budge.

           “Stop this! This isn’t funny anymore!” you shouted angrily. “I’m not some pet project for you! You can’t just act like this is a Rom-Com and you’re the damned director!”

           Callie turned to glare at you. “But I can act like I’m your friend! Which… I mean, isn’t an act. But you get my point! I’m trying to help!” She moved to put her hands on your shoulders and shook you gently. “The whole time we’ve known you, I can’t think of a single time you’ve  _ever_ put yourself first, Y/N. Not before when you were poor as fuck, not when you won millions, not now that you actually have a chance of enjoying something for more than a night!” She shook you harder and your head jostled slightly back and forth on your neck. “I am done seeing you put everyone else first! For once in your god damned life, be selfish and try for something besides complacency!”

           You blinked in surprise at her impassioned speech. Then, very slowly, you nodded. “Okay… it’s one party. I can handle one party…”

           Both Callie and Kim sighed in relief before pulling you towards your bathroom. “Take a shower. You stink of sweat and adulthood. Let me and Kimmy handle everything else.”

           As you disappeared into the bathroom, Callie looked to Kim. “You grab the green number, I’ll get the makeup. We meet back here in ten.”

           They had  _so_ many plans to execute within the next thirty odd minutes.


	6. The Party Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’ve just won the lottery and have moved into your new fancy apartment. Little did you know who you’d be living next to in the Big Apple.

          When you knocked on the door of 15B around nine fifteen, you couldn’t help fidgeting slightly. They’d done you up really nicely, you had to admit. You were wearing the dark emerald green dress you’d bought for your cousin’s wedding two years earlier, along with long dangling earrings and flat sandals. Your makeup was flawless, as usual when Kim had her hand at you.

           But you couldn’t help feeling like you were intruding on Joe’s party.

           Those feelings disappeared however when he opened the door and you saw his jaw actually drop at the sight of you. That made you blush but feel a little more confident as he just stood, staring.

           “Uhm,” you said awkwardly. “Ben invited me, but if you’re not okay with that, I can always-“

           “Hey, Y/N! There you are!”

           Ben appeared behind Joe’s shoulder and pushed him aside, taking your hand and nearly launching you into the apartment. “So glad you could make it! Aren’t we Joe?”

           Joe could only nod, barely managing to close his jaw as his blonde friend led you into the apartment where people were milling about. You realized as you looked around that you had no idea what this party was for and hoped it was nothing too important. You didn’t want to crash someone’s birthday party or something. As if sensing your discomfort, Ben put an arm around your shoulders. “He has these every time he wraps a movie to thank the crew,” he explained in your ear. “It’s just his way of saying thank you. You’re fine.”

           Visibly, you relaxed as Ben led you into the kitchen where you saw Rami and Gwilym hanging out. They stopped their conversation and smiled at you when they noticed you.

           “Hello there, Y/N,” Rami said as Gwilym nodded to you. “Glad you could make it.”

           “Not going to lie, almost didn’t come,” you admitted to them as Ben handed you a cup of lemonade. You raised an eyebrow and he shook his head.

           “No booze.”

           “Why didn’t you want to come, if I may ask?” Gwilym cocked his head and you blushed.

           “W-well, I mean, Ben invited me, and as sweet as that is, this  _is_ Joe’s party and his apartment and I wasn’t sure if he actually wanted me here, being we just agreed to be friends only last night and-“

           You were cut off by the soft laughter of the other three and you frowned slightly.

           “Sorry, love, we ain’t laughing at you,” Ben assured as he leaned back against the counter. “More at Joe and his idiocy.”

           “Joe’s not an idiot,” you defended quickly but blushed when that just made them laugh harder.

           “You’d be surprised.” Rami took a sip of his drink. “But that doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is that he is most definitely glad to see you here.”

           “And how do you know that?” you countered gently.

           “Because he’s been staring at you this whole time,” Gwilym told you, nodding towards the kitchen doorway. You looked between them before peeking out across the living room where you saw Joe standing, indeed staring at you intently. Although when he realized you were looking his way, he was quick to look anywhere else. Apparently a certain piece of wall was very interesting and he moved from your sight to go study it.

           “I-“ you started but realized you had no comeback to that. Joe had been staring at you; there was no denying it. You didn’t know what to do with that information and looked to Ben.

           He chuckled. “Don’t look so surprised. You look stunning tonight.” He gestured to your outfit and the other two agreed in a gentlemanly manner. “Glad you took my advice on the green. Goes well with your eyes.”

           You looked down at your drink, blushing darkly at the compliment. “Well, I’m glad he doesn’t mind me here,” you said quietly. You missed the look shared between the other three and Ben pushed himself off the counter.

           “I’m going to go turn on some music. Maybe some dancing will get things started.”

           He disappeared into the living room and you tried to create some small talk with Rami and Gwilym but a few minutes later you felt a hand tug at your hand. Ben was grinning at you and he gently placed your cup on the stove before leading you towards a space that had been cleared of couches and chairs in the living room.

           “Dance with me, Y/N!” Ben said excitedly. And you couldn’t help smiling at his enthusiasm and joining him on the ‘dance floor’ as “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” started over the sound system.

           “Of course you chose this,” you teased as Ben twirled you around, others starting to join in.

           “What can I say?”

           As the two of you danced, more like a brother would dance with a sister, Rami and Gwilym moved to stand by Joe who seemed to be sulking slightly in the corner of the room, watching everything that was going on.

           “What’s wrong, buddy?” Rami asked innocently. Joe just ‘hmm’ed in response as he watched you hand jive with Ben, a large smile on your face. “Don’t feel like dancing?”

           “Or just jealous you’re not dancing with a certain someone?” Gwilym added with a smirk. Joe’s eyes just narrowed and he didn’t say anything. Rami and Gwil looked at each other before rolling their eyes.

           “Joseph Francis Mazzello, go ask her to dance before I bloody do it for you!” Gwil pushed their friend and he stumbled forward, glaring at them before turning back to the makeshift dance floor where you were finishing up with Ben. He paused when you tossed your head back to laugh happily at a joke the blonde told you but then Joe moved forward again.

           Clearing his throat, he tapped you on the shoulder as “Crazy” started to end. “Uhm, Y/N, would you like to dance?” he asked before adding “With me?”

           Ben easily slipped out of the small crowd of people as you smiled up at Joe. “I’d like that very much,” you assured him as you took his hand and gently placed it on your waist. “You did so well last time, I suppose I can allow another chance.”

           You were slightly surprised by your own confidence but Joe didn’t seem to mind as he started swaying with you to the next song, which just so happened to be “Always” by Panic at the Disco.

           “Ben sure does have an eclectic taste,” you murmured as Joe pulled you slightly closer. He smiled.

           “A very interesting man, that Benny.”

           You chuckled and moved to wrap your arms around his neck as you looked up at him through your eyelashes. “Not as interesting as you.”

           Joe inhaled sharply and had to look away to stop himself from doing something that might scare you away. His three friends groaned to themselves from the corner as they all watched the two of you dance around each other as well as the floor.

           “Why is he being so  _thick_?” Ben demanded. Rami shrugged. “Maybe he’s afraid.”

           “Of what?”

           “Rejection.”

           “When has he ever been rejected?”

           “There’s a first time for everything,” Gwilym admitted. “But I honestly don’t think this is that time…”

           The song was closing and with it, what you felt was your opportunity to say or do anything. But you didn’t want to push at this point. Not without being sure. “Thanks for the dance. Maybe we can have another one before I have to go?”

           Joe looked down at you and smiled. “Yeah…. Sounds good to me…” He gently pulled away before bowing to you. You grinned and gave him a dramatic curtsy. “Until next time,” he said before you turned to move back towards the kitchen. He watched you go intently and his shoulders dropped in defeat. He looked over at his three best friends who all gave him different reactions. They ranged from pity to acceptance to annoyance.

           “This is ridiculous,” Ben said. “If it’s the last thing I see before I go home, those two are going to admit their damned feelings for each other.”


	7. The Party Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’ve just won the lottery and have moved into your new fancy apartment. Little did you know who you’d be living next to in the Big Apple.

         The rest of the party for you was spent mostly in the kitchen. At least on your end. You didn’t know anyone else at the party and the few people you did know were too busy to constantly keep you company. Which was fair, it was their party after all, they had to mingle.            

         By the time midnight rolled around, most of the people, including Rami and Gwilym, had left. A few others were passed out on the couches and floor and you were about to head out silently, back to your apartment, when you felt an arm around your shoulders.            

         “And just where do you think you’re going, missy?” Ben grinned at you and you couldn’t help chuckling at seeing him, once again, a bit more than tipsy.

          “The party is kind of dying down. Figured I’d leave too.”

           Ben pouted at you and stepped back. “But that’s no fun! Just a bit longer. Please?” The puppy dog eyes he was giving you were too powerful for you to ignore and you sighed with a soft smile. “Alright. Maybe a few more minutes.”

           He smiled widely and took your hand, leading you back into the living room where Joe was telling a few of his guests they were free to crash in his spare bedroom.

           “Oi, Joe! I do believe you owe this young lady one more dance!”

           Joe turned and blushed at Ben’s words as the blonde took one of Joe’s hands then connected it to yours. You blushed as well but didn’t pull away as Ben moved away.

           “Sorry about him,” Joe said quietly as an easy listening instrumental song began to float throughout the residence. It seemed to fit the drowsy mood that had fallen over the rooms and it made your heart flutter. Or that may have been Joe’s hand in yours.

           “Don’t worry about it; I think it’s adorable.”

           The lights suddenly dimmed and you looked up at the ceiling before following Joe’s eye sight to where Ben was giving him a quick thumbs up near the light switch. You bit back a giggle as Joe rolled his eyes. “Very subtle,” Joe grumbled.

           “Don’t worry about him,” you repeated as you took his other hand to place on your waist. “I want to dance with you.” Your bluntness made him blink but he smiled and started to sway with you in the relaxed lighting.

           “I want to dance with you too.”

           You smiled gently up at him. For the first time you kept eye contact with him for longer than just a second or two and you felt like you were only now realizing  _just_ how beautiful his eyes were.

           “Did I tell you yet how pretty you look tonight?” he asked after a few moments. Your cheeks flooded with color and you shook your head. He sighed. “Sorry, then. Should have said that sooner. Because it’s true.”

           “Thank you, Joe.” You noticed his eyes flicker to your lips and your blush darkened. “I think you look handsome, as always.”

           This time it was him who blushed. “You think I’m handsome?”

           “Since about 2004, yeah.”

           Joe let out a soft laugh through his nose and hesitantly pressed his forehead against yours, closing his eyes as if waiting for you to pull away. But you most certainly didn’t. In fact, you applied a little pressure to show you wanted to somehow be closer to him.

           It was a quiet minute or so before Joe spoke again. “Y/N,” he breathed and his warm breath tickled your nose. “Can I kiss you?”

           You didn’t even bother replying; instead you leaned in those last few centimeters separating the two of you to press your lips against his. And his lips were softer and warmer and more electrifying than you could have ever imagined. Your hands moved to cup his face as he whimpered happily and you smiled.

           You heard a quiet, triumphant ‘yes!’ from behind you and Joe reluctantly broke away to glare over your shoulder.

           “I’m going to kill you, Hardy,” he hissed as you laughed and patted Joe’s shoulders.

           “I’ll be off, then,” you heard Ben mumble before slinking off further into the apartment to go sleep off his inevitable hangover.

           When Joe looked back at you, he smiled apologetically and took your hand to kiss your knuckles. Your heart felt like it was going to burst from your chest at the simple gesture but if you died right then, you could honestly say you’d die happy.

           “Stay with me?” You couldn’t help raising your eyebrow at the sudden offer and he was quick to add “Not like that!” He bit his lip again before whispering “I don’t want you to go back to your place.” He looked deeply into your eyes and he smiled tentatively. “I’m not asking for what you might be thinking. But… knowing you’re so close, just beyond a wall, yet so far…

           It took you a few moments to answer as you thought it over and Joe was afraid he’d ruined everything before it’d had a chance to really start when you said simply “Yes.” He blinked as if he hadn’t heard you before a wide grin spread across his face. “But no funny business,” you teased. You couldn’t help enjoying the embarrassed blush that once again appeared on the man’s face as he stammered to explain he’d never assume, that you were free to slap him if he did, just rambling until you gently pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him.

           “Come on, let’s go to bed.” You moved your hand to place a soft, quick kiss to his lips. “I’m exhausted.”

           Joe smiled at you and took your hand to lead you out of the living room, down the hallway to his bedroom.

           It was as big as yours, but it was painted a light and calm blue color, decorated with posters of movies and shows he’d been in, along with some white Christmas lights around the windows.

           “Uhm, I have some PJs if you want to wear something more comfortable,” he offered to you as you turned to look at everything in the room. He was obviously nervous to have you in such an intimate and personal place but you didn’t seem like you were changing your mind about staying.

           “That’d be great, thanks.” You watched him quickly move to his dresser and pull out an oversized T-shirt. He went to open another drawer when you placed a hand on his arm. “That looks good enough,” you told him and took the shirt. “I’m going to change in the bathroom.”

           Taking your time, you stripped from your dress and shoes and washed your face thoroughly of any makeup. Then you pulled the T-shirt on over your head. It fell past your mid-thighs and looked more like a dress. But it was soft and comfortable and, pressing your nose to your shoulder, smelled of Joe. It was perfect.

           You turned off the lights in the bathroom and moved back into the bedroom where Joe was laying in his bed. He had changed into a t-shirt and pajama bottoms and looked so cozy, it was beyond adorable.

           When he heard you enter the room he looked up and his eyes widened slightly. You were suddenly self-conscious at the look and you wondered if he didn’t like what he saw when you weren’t completely made up.

           But he smiled and sat up to open his arms to you. “You look so cute,” Joe breathed as you crawled onto the bed and snuggled into his side. “You should wear this look more often.”

           “Only if you supply the shirts,” you countered. You closed your eyes as the events of the day melted away and you were left just warm and content with Joe. He rubbed your arm slowly, watched as you started to drift off.

           Kissing your forehead, he whispered “Good night, neighbor,” and you smiled sleepily as the last words you murmured were “Night, neighbor.”


	8. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, it’s over folks. I’m glad so many people liked it. I was honestly nervous to start this thing but now I’m really glad I decided to. Thanks again so much for all the support! Here’s just a very short little epilogue cause I wanted more cute.

           “Joe! Breakfast is almost ready!”

           You were frying up some eggs and bacon on the stove and listening to the radio as your boyfriend stumbled sleepily into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. You looked over and chuckled at his disheveled appearance.

           “Morning sleepy head. Did you sleep well?”

           He smiled and moved over to you. “Since you were with me, yes,” he mumbled against your shoulder. You two had been together for almost a year at this point but it still made your heart flutter whenever he was close. It made you smile happily as he kissed your neck and moved to grab himself a cup of coffee.

           “What exciting plans do we have for today?” he asked as he poured in far too much sugar and milk into the mug.

           “Nothing except lazing around, I figured,” you said to him as you moved the bacon about to cook fully.

           Joe hummed in response. He was fine with those plans.

           A moment later, the radio began to play a song that you instantly recognized, as did Joe. “It’s  _La Vie En Rose,_ ” he told you with a soft smile. Putting his drink down, the brunette moved over to you and took your hands. “Dance with me, Y/N.”

           You chuckled but didn’t say no as the two of you began to sway to the soft music.

           “I love you,” he told you after a few moments. Smiling up at him, you pulled him down into a deep, gentle kiss. You’d never get enough of his lips on yours and from his reaction, you knew he felt the same way.

           “I love you too, Joey,” you murmured. “I love you too.”


End file.
